Deworming for Pigs

The favorable climate and low initial investment account for the popularity of raising pigs in dirt lots in the southeastern USA. The raising of swine on dirt, however, can pose several problems. One of these problems is that internal parasites (worms) are difficult to control, in particular in lots used over and over for swine. These parasites can cause swine to grow slowly and be unthrifty, and in severe cases can even kill swine. Fortunately, there are various chemical dewormers available and combined with sound management, internal parasites can be controlled.

Deworming Suggestions

Pigs from 50 lbs to market size raised in "new" dirt lots (lots not previously occupied by swine)
Deworm 15 to 30 days after being placed in the lot. Recommended dewormers: Atgard¹, Safe-Guard², Tramisol³, or Ivomec⁴.

Pigs from 50 lbs to market size reared in "old" dirt lots (lots previously occupied by swine)
Deworm 15 to 30 days after being placed in the lot and again every 30 days. Recommended dewormers: Atgard, Safe-Guard or Tramisol. For the first deworming it is best to use Atgard then followed 30 days later with either Tramisol or Safe-Guard (this will get most types of worms). Also, for very severe cases (very "old" lots), one may need to feed a dewormer continuously in addition to the deworming program recommended above. There are dewormers available that can be mixed into the feed and fed continuously such as Banminth⁵. The feed with the dewormer should be fed continuously until the pigs are about 100 lbs, after which withdraw the dewormer from feed.

Sow Herd
Deworm at or just after breeding and again just before farrowing. Recommended dewormers: Ivomec, Safe-Guard, Atgard or Tramisol (it is best to rotate dewormers to get the most worm types, i.e., deworm with Tramisol shortly after breeding and then with Atgard just before farrowing).

Young Pigs (30 to 50 lbs)
Deworm 10 to 20 days after weaning. Recommended dewormer: Atgard (Atgard is quite effective against parasites that can be harmful to young pigs). For young pigs raised in "old" dirt lots, a dewormer added to the feed that can be fed continuously may be advisable (i.e., Banminth) in addition to using Atgard 10 to 20 days after weaning as mentioned above.

Other Suggestions to Control Internal Parasites

* Dirt lots should be disked and left idle for 4 to 6 weeks if possible between pig crops.
* A sound feeding program is important. A well fed pig can better resist the ill effects of internal parasites than a poorly fed pig.

Note: Please follow the directions on the label regarding the use of the various dewormers suggested above.

Disclaimer

The listing of specific trade names here does not constitute endorsement of these products in preference to others containing the same active chemical ingredients. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute a guaranty or warranty of the product by the authors of the publisher. All chemicals should be used in accordance with directions on the manufacturer's label.

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¹Trade name - Atgard, SDS Biotech Corp.

²Trade name - Safe-Guard, Hoechst-Rossel Co.

³Trade name - Tramisol, American Cyanamid Co.

⁴Trade name - Ivomec, Merck and Company, Inc.

⁵Trade name - Banminth, Pfizer, Inc.

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Footnotes

1. This document is AS114, one of a series of the Animal Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date September 1, 2000. 2007. Reviewed September 2007. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Myer, Professor of Animal Science, North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, Florida; Animal Science Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

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